Too early for hot cross buns?

Western Australia offers some of the best mountain bike trails in Australia. From free flowing single tracks winding through national forests, to technical challenges such as cross country, downhill and four-cross, Western Australia has it all for mountain bike riders of all standards.
Motocross champion, three-time Gibb Challenge mountain bike soloist and (former) Yakima Ambassador Lyndon Beck, sat down to share his favourite riding getaway locations as well as his top tips for planning your Easter road trip adventure.

Where are the best MTB trails in Western Australia? (well, some of your favourites)

The Goat Farm in Greenmount: I live in the foothills of Perth, Western Australia. From our front yard, we look straight across the escarpment towards the Goat Farm in Greenmount. The Goat Farm is a designated mountain bike area and caters for all skill levels and disciplines - cross country, downhill and four-cross. It has an awesome skills course too. You can start at any level and work up to tackling the Cannonball Run Downhill course or the Blue Cruiser Cross Country loop. The kids and I go there whenever we get a spare hour.

The Camel Farm: A bit further up the hill, halfway between Kalamunda and Mundaring is the Camel Farm. This is an actual Camel Tour company providing great days out for the whole family. But another really cool thing about it is they have fully embraced the mountain bike fraternity. On any given Saturday or Sunday, the car parks are full of cars with bike racks, trailers, and helmet wearing dusty, faced riders smiling their heads off after a great 18 kilometre circuit. We go up most Saturday mornings for a 90 minute lap of the circuit and love it more every time. We also go up there during the week for night rides. Grab a set of lights and experience a whole new world of cycling. Night bush riding! It’s the bomb. In fact, we are heading up there tonight!
Where are some of your favourite places to get away with the family?
We love to escape to Donnybrook to visit family. Backing onto the national forest, the small hobby farm gives us a base to explore the bush with no noisy cars or limitations. The Munda Biddi trail runs past a few kilometres out of town for the more extreme athletes amongst us.

We also compete in the six, 12 and 24 hour mountain bike events as a family and friends team. These are run either in Jarrahdale, near Byford, Dwellingup or in Northcliffe. We pack up the car and bikes and sleep in our swags under a tarp strung between the roof racks on two four-wheel-drives. Or if you have one vehicle, find a couple of trees.
Where are some of your favourite places to get away as a couple or with mates?
Dwellingup is great for couples as you can get a chalet with steaming hot showers for great prices, but still be close to the bush for your adventures.

More over…

What are your top five tips for packing the car for an adventure?
1. Always take fewer shoes than you think you need. If you think you need two pairs,
just take one. But always take a pair of thongs and stow them under your seat so
they don’t get in your way. Nothing worse than trying to walk into the bush for a
nature break during the night with just socks or bare feet.
2. Sit on your pillow while you drive, it saves taking up space in the boot, makes you
feel higher in the car and gives you a sense you are going somewhere special. It’s
also helpful when the kids nod off.
3. Grab a water bottle each before you leave. Make it someone’s job to check that the
driver has a bottle which they can safely access at all times.
4. Chat to the driver; don’t be selfish and snooze because you are tired. Take plenty of
breaks to stay fresh and ensure you get to your destination safely.
5. If you have two or more vehicles travelling in convoy, invest in some UHF two-way
radios. Decide on a mutual channel and give each other updates on traffic and road
conditions. Let the passenger be in charge of the two-way. It will keep them awake
and pass the time.

It always seems to rain over the Easter long weekend – what are your survival tips for
camping in the rain?
Even if you have swags or a tent, always take two big tarps. Make sure the place you set up
camp isn’t low lying or it will become a stream or pond after heavy rain. Hang a tarp
between your vehicles and put one up vertical as a side wall if winds are a problem. If you
can keep out of the wind, you can stay reasonably cosy.

Are there different getaway tips for winter trips vs summer trips?
In the winter, head north. In summer, really think about water supplies. Take too much
water. You only need one faulty radiator to use up all the drinking water you would normally
carry.